Lucky Charms
by Another Bechloe Shipper
Summary: From a Tumblr prompt. Chloe is grocery shopping late at night and is shocked to find her favorite singer Beca Mitchell in the grocery aisle with her arms full of Lucky Charms boxes. Full prompt to be revealed at the end.
1. Chapter 1

Chloe sighed as she pulled up in the parking lot of the grocery store just after finishing her shift at the emergency veterinary clinic. She scolded herself for waiting until there was practically no food at home to shop for groceries. "Well," she said to nobody in particular as she exited the car. "At least I won't be waiting in a long line at this hour." She checked her watch. It was almost three in the morning. She worked the late evening shift, reporting at 6 pm and leaving at 2 am. She'd arrived home and walked the dog before discovering there wasn't anything she could throw together to make a meal. The thought of yet another meal acquired from a drive-through window was far worse than just going to the 24-hour grocery store near her home and at least getting some of the basics. She hadn't even bothered to change out of her scrubs before walking her dog just long enough for her to do her business before heading to the store. She grabbed a cart and got some milk, juice, a loaf of bread, some peanut butter and jelly, and then headed to the cereal aisle.

She stopped dead in her tracks when she spotted a petite woman standing in the middle of the aisle with her arms full of cereal boxes. She looked at her face and shrieked in surprise when she discovered it was none other than Beca Mitchell, her favorite pop singer.

"What?!"

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry," said Chloe. "I'm a big fan of yours, and...I'm just shocked to see you." She took in the woman's appearance. Her hair was disheveled, she must have had at least five or six boxes of Lucky Charms in her arms, and she was wearing hot pink Hello Kitty pajamas. While the look was both adorable and hilarious, it was extremely out of character for the woman, at least as far as Chloe had ever seen. She tentatively asked, "Are you okay?"

"Do I _look _okay?" Beca snapped.

"I'm sorry," said Chloe. "I'll leave you alone. This obviously isn't a good time."

"Wait!" called Beca as Chloe turned to leave.

"Yes?"

"So, you're not here to snap a picture of me?"

"No," said Chloe. "I was just shocked to see you. I can now see you're having a rough time, so I'll leave you alone." She grabbed a box of Froot Loops and put it in her cart. She turned back around when she heard the woman begin to sob.

She turned back around and said, "Look, I'm not trying to pry or anything, but, do you need some help? Is there somebody I can call?"

Beca said, "I...I...I don't know." She looked down and appeared to realize she had an absurd amount of cereal in her arms. "Maybe you could help me put back some of this cereal?"

Chloe chuckled. "Sure. That's probably a good start." Chloe took a couple of boxes out of Beca's arms and placed them back on the shelf. Beca handed her all but the last one, which she held to her chest.

"I'm keeping this one," said Beca.

"Can't blame you there," said Chloe.

She took a few seconds to look at Chloe and asked, "Are you a doctor?"

"Yes," said Chloe. "But not for humans. I'm a veterinarian."

"Oh," said Beca.

"Why? Are you sick?" asked Chloe.

"No," said Beca. "I don't even know why I asked that. Thanks for your help. I should get the cereal and go."

"Do you need somebody to talk to?" asked Chloe. "I'm a good listener."

"Okay, yeah, probably," said Beca. She patted her pajama pants. "Shit. I don't have my wallet. Or my phone. God, this is embarrassing."

"I got it," said Chloe, taking the cereal box from Beca. "I think what I have in the cart should have me set for a day or two. I'll pay for the groceries. Do you want to go somewhere and talk?"

"Thanks," said Beca. "I could use someone to talk to if you don't mind. I'll pay you back for the cereal."

"It's a box of cereal. Don't worry about it," said Chloe. "We could go to...well, I don't know. What's open right now besides this place?"

"Nowhere I'd want to be seen," said Beca.

"Right," said Chloe. "How did you get to the store?"

"I got someone from the hotel to drop me off. I promised them a signed 8x10 glossy if they didn't tell anyone they'd seen me."

"A hotel? Wait, don't you live here in LA?"

"It's complicated."

Chloe thought for a minute. "If you want, you can get in my car and we can go to my place. I promise I'm not an ax murderer and my only roommate is my dog, Billie."

Beca's eyes lit up. "You have a dog?" Chloe nodded. "Duh, of course, you do. You're a vet."

"So...is that a yes?"

"Possibly against my better judgment, yes."

"Come on," said Chloe. "Let's get the groceries and you can come back to my place to talk. You look like you could use a friend right now."

"Are you for real?" asked Beca.

Chloe shrugged. "I guess," said Chloe. "My mom taught me to respect others, no matter who they are. I don't think it would be very respectful of me to make fun of you or take advantage of you when you're obviously having a very rough night."

"Tell your mom she did a good job," said Beca.

"Will do," said Chloe.

Chloe and Beca walked to the checkout line. Beca mostly stayed behind Chloe with her head down. Chloe felt pretty sorry for Beca. She probably got noticed a lot, and this wasn't a good time.

She led Beca to her car. Before she got in, Beca asked, "Before I get in the car, what's your name?"

"I can't believe I didn't tell you that. I'm Chloe."

"I'm Beca, but I guess you already knew that."

"Yeah," said Chloe. "My place is close by." They drove in silence to Chloe's apartment. Beca followed Chloe to her place. Chloe opened the door and was greeted by a tiny little terrier mix. "Hi, Billie!" exclaimed Chloe in a super high-pitched voice. "Mommy's home and she brought a friend. Do you want to meet Beca? Yes, you do!"

Chloe glanced over to see Beca looking at her with a raised eyebrow. Billie walked over to Beca and immediately rolled onto her back the second Beca bent down to pet her.

"I started talking to her in that silly voice when I got her, and now that's the only way she'll respond. I'll let you two get to know each other while I put the groceries away."

She glanced over, relieved to finally see a smile on the singer's face. Billie had that effect on most of the people she met.

"Hey, I'm making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, do you want one? Or would you rather have some Lucky Charms?" Chloe called from the kitchen.

"I'll have whatever you're having. Thanks."

Chloe came out to her living room with two sandwiches and two bottles of water. She placed them on the coffee table.

"Billie, go sit on your bed," she said, in the same high-pitched voice she'd used earlier.

Beca chuckled. "It's so funny that she won't listen to you any other way."

"It seemed like a fun idea at the time. I should have realized what I was doing when I started that."

"Thanks for the sandwich," said Beca after taking a bite.

"Of course," said Chloe. "So, what's going on?"

Beca sighed. "So, you're a fan of mine. I'm assuming you know I'm married to Jesse Swanson." Chloe nodded. She'd followed the couple on social media and had gushed over their wedding pictures. Beca's husband was famous for writing movie soundtracks. He'd scored a bunch of them and was a household name. Beca had sung the big hit from his first movie, and it seemed like a match made in heaven. "Well, I won't be for much longer. Jesse and I split up. And, it's not a temporary thing. It's over."

"May I ask why?"

"You'll think I'm selfish."

"I don't judge."

"I don't want kids. Like, ever. I like them just fine, but I don't want them. I don't see myself as a parent, and I sure as hell don't want them subjected to this life. The paparazzi are constantly pestering us, and I'm on tour a lot. Children just aren't for me."

"And, I take it, Jesse wants kids?"

"Yes. It's been a point of contention for our whole relationship, even before we got married. I told him, over and over again, that I didn't want kids. I never wanted kids, even before I was famous. But, like always, Jesse heard what he wanted to hear. I told him I'd gone to a doctor to discuss getting my tubes tied. He blew his stack, and I walked out. I packed a few things, called an Uber, and got a hotel room. He doesn't know where I am, but he does know I'm safe. I figured I owed him that much. Anyway, I didn't grab much before I left. And I worked myself up into such a state that I ended up...well, you saw how I ended up."

"I'm so sorry," said Chloe. "You're not selfish. Parenting is hard. My sister has three kids, and she tells me it's really difficult. She loves them and wanted kids very badly, but she respects that I don't."

"You don't want kids either?"

"Nope," said Chloe. "I like being a dog mommy and the cool gay aunt."

"Cool gay aunt, huh? I love it," said Beca with a smile. "You're obviously a great dog mommy. Billie looks pretty spoiled."

"She is," said Chloe. "So, what do you do now?"

"I don't know," said Beca. "I loved Jesse, or, at least, I thought I did. But I can't get past this. I don't want kids. Pregnancy sounds awful, and I don't want to put my body through that. I've always been diligent with birth control. I was a few days late last month and Jesse was sure I was pregnant. I wasn't, and, when I realized how utterly devastated I would have been had we actually conceived, I made an appointment to discuss having my tubes tied. When I got home and told him what I'd done, he was furious."

"He didn't...hit you, did he?"

Beca shook her head. "No. He yelled and screamed, but he never raised a hand to me."

"There are other forms of abuse, you know."

"I do. Jesse wasn't abusive. He just had this way of wanting me to be things I'm not, and he was sure he could change me and mold me to be the way he wanted me to be. As I said, I'd made it clear well before we got married - before we were engaged, actually - that I wanted no parts of parenthood. He'd tell me I'd feel differently later. I don't know if it was wishful thinking on his part or what, really. I guess my wanting my tubes tied was a reality slap. Maybe he didn't realize I was serious until I'd gone to my doctor about getting it done."

"I'm sorry he was like that. You should be with someone who accepts you the way you are."

"Yeah. Now that I think about it, that wasn't the only thing Jesse tried to change."

"Oh?"

"So, this is going to sound really weird, but I don't like movies. Okay, I like a few, but I generally don't like them."

"Why not?"

"I just get bored and never make it to the end. They're so predictable."

"And you're married to a guy who writes movie soundtracks."

"Yeah, I know. He'd gotten me to watch a few with him, but I usually end up falling asleep. I didn't even like the one where I sang the hit song."

"How did that not get out?"

"My publicist told me I was not allowed to say that in public."

"Yeah, well, that makes sense."

"Yeah." Beca yawned.

"Do you want to stay here tonight?" asked Chloe. "You can have my bed and I'll take the couch."

"I don't want to put you out," said Beca.

Chloe waved her hand in dismissal. "You're not. The couch folds out anyway. Besides, you're my guest."

"Something tells me you won't take no for an answer."

Chloe chuckled. "Well, if you really don't want to stay here, I certainly won't force you. I can take you back to your hotel if you like."

"Maybe in the morning," said Beca. "I'm sure you're tired."

"I am, but I don't want you to be uncomfortable."

"I could probably use the company anyway. You're sure you don't mind sleeping on the couch?"

"My couch is fine," said Chloe. "My bedroom is at the end of the hall. The bathroom is on the right. Do you need anything before I turn in?"

Beca shook her head. "Goodnight, and thanks again. A lot of people would have sold my picture to TMZ and I don't even know who else. I really appreciate you treating me like I'm a normal person."

"It's just who I am. Goodnight, Beca."

"Goodnight," Beca said again.

* * *

The next morning, Chloe took a few beats to remember why she was on her foldout couch, rather than in her bed. She still couldn't believe Beca Mitchell was in her apartment. She'd even thought briefly that it may have been a dream, but she rarely woke up on her couch, much less with the bed folded out. Sometimes, she fell asleep with the television on, but it was off. She looked down the hall and saw her bedroom door was shut, but there was a light under it. She cautiously walked up to the door and knocked lightly.

"Ummm...Beca. Are you up?"

"Yeah."

"Do you want some breakfast?"

"Sure."

"Come on out when you're ready. No pressure."

Chloe walked into the kitchen and started a pot of coffee. She hadn't the faintest idea whether or not Beca was a coffee drinker, but she knew she could use some. She was happy to help, but it had cost her a good amount of sleep. The excitement of the encounter combined with trying to sleep on the couch had made her sleep rather restless. She imagined Beca hadn't done much better.

Just as Chloe had hit the button to start the coffee maker, she heard Beca walk into the kitchen and murmur a greeting.

"Hi! Sleep okay?" asked Chloe.

Beca sighed. "Not especially," she said. She quickly added, "But, it's not because your bed wasn't comfortable. Just...tough circumstances." She walked over and took a seat at the little kitchen table.

"I don't think anyone sleeps well after the demise of their marriage," said Chloe. "I really am sorry about you and Jesse."

"Thanks," said Beca.

"What do you want for breakfast?" asked Chloe.

"Lucky Charms," said Beca, blushing and looking down.

Chloe couldn't help but chuckle. "Sounds good," she said. She poured two bowls of cereal and placed one in front of Beca. She grabbed milk out of the refrigerator for Beca to pour on her own.

"Thanks," said Beca as she poured the milk.

"Coffee?" asked Chloe.

"Please!"

"How do you take it?"

"Milk and sugar. If you just hand me the bowl of sugar, I'll do it myself."

Chloe nudged the sugar in Beca's direction.

"Do you want me to take you back to your hotel after breakfast?"

"Yes, thanks."

"If you want, you can borrow some of my clothes. You'd be less conspicuous in sweats than in those pajamas."

Beca looked down at her clothes. "Yeah, actually. If you don't mind, that is."

"I'll grab some from my drawers after breakfast. I'll have to take Billie for a short walk to do her business, but we can go after that. It will give you some time to change."

"Great."

They ate their cereal in silence after that. Once Chloe had finished, she went through her drawers and grabbed a tee shirt and sweatpants.

"All yours," said Chloe. "I'll be back in about ten minutes or so."

"Okay. Enjoy your walk!"

Chloe came back from her walk to find Beca sitting on the couch watching TV in her borrowed clothing.

"Chloe, do you have a plastic bag I could use to take my pajamas back to my room?"

"Sure," said Chloe. "Are you ready to go back?" She looked over at Beca to see that she wasn't looking, so she hastily wrote something on a post-it note and stuck it to the box of Lucky Charms before putting it in the grocery bag and handing it to Beca.

"Yes," said Beca.

"Let me just grab my car keys," said Chloe. She grabbed the keys from a hook by the door.

They drove back, and the only conversation was Beca giving Chloe directions to the hotel.

"Is there a back entrance where I can drop you off?"

"I wish," said Beca. "But I didn't even grab my room key. I'm going to have to go to the front desk and hope nobody notices me."

"Good luck," said Chloe.

"Thanks again, for everything," said Beca. She gave a small smile and wave as she exited the car.

Chloe was just settling down to try and get some more sleep before another late shift at the clinic when her phone buzzed with a text. She saw it was a payment from Beca.

* * *

_[Unknown]: Here's some money for the cereal and whatever gas it took to transport me. Thanks, Beca.  
__Chloe: Hi! Thanks, but that wasn't why I gave you my number.  
__Beca: It's not?  
__Chloe: Thought you could use a friend.  
__Beca: Thanks. For everything.  
__Chloe: You already told me that.  
__Beca: Well, I wanted to tell you again._

* * *

To be continued...


	2. Chapter 2

A few weeks after Chloe's surprise encounter with Beca, she was surprised to get a text from the woman.

_Beca: Hey, I hope you don't mind me contacting you. Any chance we can talk again? I could use a friend  
__Chloe: Sure. When and where?  
__Beca: Your place  
__Beca: If that's okay  
__Beca: Not big on being seen in public  
__Chloe: Okay. I'm on a break a work right now, but I'm off at 2 am. Tomorrow is my day off, so whenever.  
__Beca: I didn't realize you worked late hours.  
__Chloe: I'm a vet at an emergency animal hospital. I generally work the 6 pm - 2 am shift. That's why I was at the store at 3 am. I'd just gotten off of work.  
__Beca: What time are you up for the day?  
__Beca: I don't want to wreck your sleep schedule  
__Chloe: Would you like to come over at 1 pm?  
__Beca: Okay  
__Chloe: Do you need a ride?  
__Beca: I'll drive myself  
__Beca: I need the address, though  
__Beca: I don't remember where you live  
__Beca: I'm sorry. Rough night  
__Chloe: It's cool_

Chloe texted her address to Beca. Part of her had wondered, at least on some level, if she'd somehow imagined the whole encounter. However, she had a Venmo transaction from Beca Mitchell, and the woman was still in possession of a tee shirt and sweatpants of hers. She figured when she let Beca wear them, she wouldn't get them back. That was okay with her. She was just happy to help someone in need.

The next afternoon, Chloe's doorbell rang at 1 pm on the dot. Even though she'd expected Beca, the celebrity standing on her doorstep still took her by surprise. She stood still for a moment, just blinking until she got her head together and took the neatly folded shirt and sweatpants from her outstretched hands.

"These are yours, right?" asked Beca.

"Yes, thanks," said Chloe. "Why don't you come in?"

Beca followed Chloe into the living room. She gestured for the woman to sit on the couch.

"Are you hungry? Thirsty?" asked Chloe.

"I'm fine, thanks," said Beca.

Chloe got herself a glass of water before sitting next to Beca on the couch.

"I'm sorry. A part of me still can't believe you're here. In my apartment. That same part of me still isn't quite sure that the whole grocery store encounter happened."

"It's just me. I'm just a regular person. I mean, I think you finding me in...well, that state...shows that I'm not some superhero."

"Right. Sorry. I've just been a fan of yours for a long time. It's...I can't explain it."

"I get it. When I got my recording contract, I'd run into people at the studio and I'd walk around, wide-eyed. But I guess I got used to it."

"I suppose so. So, what did you want to talk about?"

"I took the first step today. I filed for divorce. I'm currently staying in the hotel until I can find somewhere else to live. I tried moving back in temporarily but the pain is too fresh for both of us."

"Oh. How do you feel?"

"Okay, I guess. Weird, though. Jesse and I have been together for a long time. But I'm not as sad as I thought I'd be. I loved Jesse. Well, I guess a part of me still does, and always will. A bigger part of me knows it's over, though. The more I worried about my period being late, the more excited he got. He knew I didn't want kids, but I guess he figured an 'oops' baby would be just fine. I don't even know what I would have done had I been pregnant, honestly."

"Well, you're not. So, don't even think about it."

"Right. Anyway, I need your help with the next step. God, I feel so weird asking. Would you mind serving Jesse with the papers?"

"What?"

"Okay, he knows I'm filing. And I'd rather not pay a process server to serve him with the papers. I don't want all of the details leaked to the press. Nobody ever found out about my grocery store meltdown, so I know I can trust you. Anyone over eighteen and not involved in the case can serve papers."

"So, that's why you came over?" asked Chloe. "So I can serve your soon-to-be-ex?" She felt her fists clenching and her face getting hot.

"No," said Beca, quickly. "You were so good about listening to me before. I don't really have friends of my own out here. Everyone who I spent time with in LA, I met through Jesse. You knew who I was, but you treated me like a regular person on what was probably the worst night of my life. I'll be forever grateful for that."

"Oh. I guess I can."

"Thanks. So, did you ever tell your mom what I said?"

"About what?" asked Chloe.

"That she did a good job. Teaching you to respect others, and all that."

"Oh, well, no. Not yet anyway."

"Why not?"

"Well, for one, I haven't totally come to terms with that night. I still can't believe I met you, and I can't believe you're here."

"I'm here and that night definitely happened. Was there something else?"

Chloe sighed. "Well, I haven't been to her bench in a while."

"Her bench?"

"Mom died four years ago. Breast cancer. Sometimes I go to a park bench that my dad and I dedicated to her memory and talk to her. There are two, actually. One in LA and one back home."

"I'm sorry. I didn't know."

"It's okay. I didn't want to say anything before because you were already in a state," said Chloe. She reached over to the end table next to the couch and grabbed a framed picture to show Beca. "That's us. My dad took it when I graduated from vet school. It was a month before we found out she was sick."

Beca took the picture from Chloe. "No mix-up at the hospital, that's for sure. She looks so proud of you!"

"She always told me she was," said Chloe, her voice starting to break.

"I didn't mean to make you sad."

Chloe wiped a tear that had fallen down her cheek before taking a deep breath and letting it out. "I'm okay. I just miss her. That's all."

"I'm seriously fucking up this friendship thing. I already made you cry."

"You're not and you didn't."

"Is your dad…?" Beca didn't finish the question, but her crumpled face gave away the rest.

Chloe smiled. "Yes, Dad is alive and well. He lives in Portland where I was born. That's where the original bench is."

'What brought you to LA?"

"Old girlfriend. We met at UC Davis and I followed her when she got a job in LA. We split soon after, but I'd already found a job here at the emergency animal hospital. So I got my own place and adopted Billie."

"How long ago was that?"

"Almost three years ago."

"Do you regret following her here?"

"Not really. Okay, maybe following my ex wasn't my brightest idea, but I love taking care of animals. I feel bad for the owners that I'm seeing at their worst, but I also like making them smile when I take care of their furry friends. I'm not sure if I would have ended up at an emergency animal hospital otherwise. It was the first job I could find. The crazy hours probably contributed to the end of the relationship, but that's fine. I just figured that we could get past conflicting work schedules if things were really meant to be."

"That's a good attitude to have."

"It's worked for me so far. When I was sure I was staying in LA, I had a duplicate park bench dedicated to my mom. It's the place I feel closest to her. She'd never been to LA, but I'm sure she would have visited me as much as she could."

"Does your dad visit?"

"Once a year. He doesn't have a ton of money for a plane ticket, and it's a 14-hour drive. When Mom got sick, her treatments ate up their savings. They had medical insurance, but it didn't help as much as we'd hoped. He does okay now, but he doesn't have much for extra things like plane tickets. I'm lucky that I got a full ride to vet school. Otherwise, I'd have had to drop out. I fly up a few times a year, and I generally fly my dad here for my birthday. It's kind of my present to myself, I guess."

"You said you have a sister, right?"

"Her name is Brooke. She's two years younger and lives in Portland too. She hasn't come down here with the kids, but I always visit them when I'm in town. She's a stay-at-home mom, and my brother-in-law doesn't make enough to pay for five round-trip plane tickets. And I can't imagine making the drive with three kids."

"Neither could I. How old are they?"

Chloe screwed up her face in concentration for a minute. "Katherine - we call her Kate - is eight, I think. Matthew - Matt - is six, and Charlotte - Charlie - just turned four."

"That's a handful."

"Definitely," said Chloe. "So, how does the serving work?"

"I'll make arrangements through my attorney. They'll tell you where to serve him. My attorney will try to make it as painless as possible. I'll give him your number if that's okay?"

"Sure," said Chloe.

"He'll tell you what to do next."

* * *

Chloe stood on the porch of the house formerly shared by Beca Mitchell and Jesse Swanson. She chewed on her bottom lip as she stood there, waiting for someone to answer the door. The house was huge. She remembered seeing photos of the outside and the inside on Beca's Instagram page when the couple purchased it around the time they'd gotten married. Standing at the front door felt like an out of body experience.

The shock continued when Jesse himself answered the door. He asked, "Can I help you?"

Chloe stood in shock, not saying anything.

"Look, I'm not sure who you are, but if you're here to get a photo or an autograph-"

"No!" exclaimed Chloe. "I mean...are you Jesse Swanson?"

"Yes," said Jesse, furrowing his brow.

Chloe handed him the manila envelope in her hand. "Here. These are court papers."

She turned to leave, but not before seeing the expression on his face. It looked like someone had just kicked his puppy.

She went to her car, filled out the form Beca's attorney had given her to show that she'd served the papers correctly and texted Beca to let her know she'd served him. She left out her description of the expression on Jesse's face, knowing that no good could come of sharing that information with her.

She dropped the papers off with Beca's attorney before heading to the emergency animal clinic.

She checked her phone during her dinner break to see a text from Beca.

_Beca: Thanks for helping me_

She responded when she saw it wasn't too late in the evening.

_Chloe: You're welcome  
__Beca: How's work?  
__Chloe: Not bad. Relatively slow night  
__Beca: That's good  
__Chloe: I stitched up a cut paw on a dog, and my other case didn't need my attention  
__Beca: Why not?  
__Chloe: A family brought in their cat. The vet tech confirmed he was gone. _😢_ They declined the autopsy.  
__Beca: Does that happen a lot?  
__Chloe: Depends on the family. This one looked like heart failure. My tech told them that this wasn't their fault, and it happens sometimes. They chose to have him cremated and have a few keepsakes of his fur and paw prints instead of paying for an autopsy that wouldn't bring him back. Their words, not mine.  
__Beca: They must be devastated.  
__Chloe: That's one of the hardest things about my job. Seeing the broken hearts of the family members of the pets who didn't make it.  
__Beca: I'm sure.  
__Chloe: My dinner break is over. Thanks for checking in. Talk to you later.  
__Beca: Later_

Chloe was surprised to see another text from Beca when her shift was over.

_Beca: Hey, I know you're working, but text me when you're off. I'll be up._

She replied once she got home, wondering if the singer really was awake.

_Chloe: I'm off. What's up?  
__Beca: Hi!  
__Beca: Told you I'd be up  
__Chloe: You did  
__Chloe: Anything you wanted?  
__Beca: I'd like to take you out as a thank you for your help  
__Chloe: When and where?  
__Beca: What works with your schedule?  
__Chloe: Any day between 1 and 4 if I work, a little later if I don't  
__Beca: I know a diner that's a little off the beaten path  
__Beca: Paparazzi haven't found it yet  
__Chloe: Sounds great  
__Chloe: Text me the address  
__Chloe: I have to walk Billie and get to bed  
__Beca: Sure, send her my love  
__Chloe: Will do_

* * *

The next day, Chloe arrived at the diner. She was about to tell the hostess she was meeting a friend when she spotted Beca at a corner table. A part of her still couldn't believe she'd struck up a friendship with her favorite celebrity. She took a breath before walking over and greeting Beca.

"Hey! Is this seat taken?" she asked.

"Hi, Chloe!"

Beca passed her a menu as she sat down.

"What's good here?"

"Haven't had anything here that wasn't. I'm partial to the mac and cheese, though."

"Sounds good."

"Thanks again for helping me out. I hope it wasn't too much trouble."

"No real trouble," said Chloe. "Just a little weird for me, though."

"Celebrity thing?" asked Beca.

"Yeah," Chloe said, blushing.

"You're going to have to get used to it if we're going to keep hanging out."

"Right," said Chloe.

A waitress took their orders.

"How did he react to the papers?"

"Well, I left as soon as I handed them to him. But…"

"But?"

"He kind of looked like I'd kicked his puppy."

"Yeah, I'm sure. Believe me, I know that look. Once he realizes he's more in love with who he thinks I am than who I really am, he'll realize we're better off this way."

"It's hard for both of you, I guess."

"Did you tell him who you were?"

"No, but I didn't exactly give him the chance. I took your attorney's advice and left as soon as I handed him the papers. I guess if I hadn't been wearing my scrubs for work, he might have thought I was a process server."

The two continued to chat for a bit while they waited for their food. Chloe entertained Beca with stories from college and vet school, and Beca told Chloe all about growing up singing in different youth choirs.

"Here's the first time I was on TV," said Beca. She pulled up a YouTube video on her phone. "My parents have the original broadcast on VHS. A fan must have converted it and put it on YouTube."

Just over a minute in, Chloe pointed to the screen. "That's you in the interview, right?"

"Yeah," said Beca.

"How old were you?"

"Fifteen."

"Too cute."

"Thanks," she said, grinning.

Their food arrived just as the video ended.

"So, what happens next?" asked Chloe. "With Jesse, I mean."

"Well, it depends on how he responds. I guess he could just not respond, and then it's up to the judge. My attorney said that almost never happens, and I don't think he'd try it. He'd get a ton of bad press."

"Right."

"I'm not exactly sure what's next. That's why I hired an attorney."

The two of them finished their meal, exchanging a little small talk. When they were done, Chloe gave Beca a hug but pulled back when she felt the other woman tense.

"Sorry, I'm a hugger."

"Oh, you're fine. I just wasn't expecting that," said Beca. "It was nice; it just took me by surprise."

"Right. So, we'll talk later?"

"Definitely."

* * *

Beca and Chloe spoke frequently over the next few days by text, and Chloe made sure to go to her mom's bench and talk to her about her amazing new friend. She sent Beca a selfie while she sat on the bench at the woman's request.

It had become a habit recently for Beca to text Chloe while she knew she was at work. Due to the unpredictability of working the evening shift at the emergency animal hospital, the vet couldn't always be sure when she'd get her break. Beca was usually awake and up for a chat whenever Chloe had the time. She wondered whether or not her friend was staying up on purpose.

One night, Chloe checked her phone while on her dinner break as usual to find a text that was more than a little small talk.

_Beca: I got served today  
__Chloe: Is that a normal part of the process?  
__Beca: Yes, but it was weird  
__Chloe: How so?  
__Beca: Well, first off, it was Benji who served me.  
__Chloe: Who's that?  
__Beca: Jesse's personal assistant. He does all of his schedules and everything. Jesse is a total scatterbrain, so we hired Benji several years ago to help him.  
__Chloe: Well, that makes sense that he'd have Benji do it.  
__Beca: Yeah. But I could tell he hated having to do it. Benji and I are friends. Or were. I don't know anymore. He and Jesse met in college, but Benji and I were close too once Jesse and I got together.  
__Chloe: I'm sure you can still be friends  
__Beca: I'm not sure how that would really work. He's too close to Jesse.  
__Beca: At least I have you  
__Chloe: Awwww….thanks_

Chloe was glad to be alone in the break room because she was sure she was blushing.

_Beca: I told you that you're my only friend  
__Chloe: Can't say I have a ton either  
__Beca: Seriously?  
__Chloe: It's the weird work hours  
__Chloe: I'm almost always working when other people want to get together  
__Chloe: It's a bitch finding a date too  
__Beca: How long has it been since you've been on a date?  
__Chloe: So long, it's embarrassing  
__Beca: _😮  
_Chloe: Sad, I know  
__Beca: Have you tried online dating?  
__Beca: There have to be people who maybe work late hours  
__Chloe: I don't know  
__Beca: Just think about it  
__Beca: You'd make some woman really happy_

Chloe was sure she was really blushing this time.

_Chloe: I guess  
__Beca: Give it a shot  
__Beca: Just because my marriage didn't work out doesn't mean you can't find love  
__Chloe: When are you getting back on the horse?  
__Beca: I will  
__Beca: But right now I'm still married  
__Beca: Maybe when things are finalized  
__Chloe: I'm holding you to it  
__Beca: I said maybe  
__Chloe: I'll try online dating if you promise you'll try dating again after the divorce  
__Beca: Fair deal  
__Beca: But don't you wait until my divorce is final  
__Chloe: Yes ma'am _😂

Chloe hadn't tried online dating. Maybe Beca was right. After all, there had to be some women in the area who were available when Chloe was. She figured she'd sign up the next day so she had time to focus. Her dinner break was nearly over.

_Chloe: Okay, I'll make a profile tomorrow. It's my day off. Duty calls! Talk to you later  
__Beca: I'm holding you to it _😏  
_Beca: Bye_


	3. Chapter 3

The next day, Chloe found herself staring at the dating app, HER, on her phone. She'd looked into a few, but she liked the idea of an app for women to find other women. She'd even heard that the app had reporting options for some things that other apps hadn't mentioned: cis-males and straight couples looking for a unicorn. Still, she sat there, staring at her phone, unable to work up the nerve to make a profile. As though Beca was reading Chloe's mind, a text came in.

_Beca: Got an online girlfriend yet?  
__Chloe: Too nervous  
__Beca: I'm heading over  
__Beca: We'll figure this out together_

Chloe continued to stare at her phone, unsure what to do, until her doorbell rang.

"Okay, online dating wingman, coming in!"

"Hi, Beca. How are you? It sure is nice to see you," said Chloe.

"Sorry. I got excited. Show me what you have," said Beca. She grabbed Chloe's phone. "Chlo, you have to sign up for a profile first."

"What if I don't match anyone?"

"Then you try a different app. I think you're off to a good start with this one. It's probably best to avoid the men and curious straight women."

"That's why I chose it."

"Okay, let's make this profile interesting." Beca typed in a few things before handing Chloe her phone.

"You put 'cool gay aunt' in there?"

"It shows you don't hate children!"

"But it makes me look like I want them."

"Oh. Yeah. Didn't think of that. We'll leave that out."

"Dog Mom to Billie by day, Animal Doctor by night," said Chloe. "I like that."

"Okay, let's take a profile pic. With Billie. That adorable pup should get you a few dates."

Chloe began her special high-pitched voice reserved for the dog. "Billie, come here and see Mommy. Good girl!" Billie climbed into her lap. She went back to her normal voice. "How's my hair? Do I look okay?"

"You look great, Chloe," said Beca. She snapped a bunch of pictures. "Here. You pick."

Chloe chose the one where Billie was looking at the camera and her hair wasn't too weird.

"Ready to go live?" asked Beca.

"Ready as I'll ever be," said Chloe.

"You're live. Now, let's find you a match," said Beca.

Chloe flipped through a few pictures, swiping left on all of them.

"Chloe, sweetie, you need to swipe right on somebody. It's a date, not a marriage contract."

"I know."

"Then why are you still swiping left?"

Chloe froze when she saw the next picture. The woman was gorgeous!

"Swipe right, Chloe!"

"Okay, I'm swiping," said Chloe. "Now what?"

"I think you have to see if she swipes right on you, and then you can talk."

"What do I do then?"

"So, I was reading up on this on Reddit last night. In the 'actual lesbians' subreddit, someone suggested sending the gif from the movie Matilda where Miss Honey lowers her glasses."

"Hold on. You're referencing a movie? And why were you on the 'actual lesbians' subreddit?"

"First off, I've seen the gif in, like, a hundred memes. And I saw Matilda when I was a kid. We read the book in third grade and the teacher showed us the movie. Also, the 'actual lesbians' subreddit title is sort of a joke. It's for bi girls, too," said Beca, smirking.

"You're _bisexual_?"

"Yup."

"How did I not know this?"

"Because I was never out. I mean, I wasn't exactly in the closet, either. I just haven't dated a woman since I became famous. I started dating Jesse shortly after my first album dropped. Nobody questioned me about my sexuality, so I didn't volunteer the information."

"I guess that would explain why you didn't seem surprised I mentioned being the cool gay aunt?"

"I swear I spend so much time in the LGBTQ+ areas on Reddit that I don't even flinch when someone tells me they're anything other than straight."

"Does Jesse know?"

"Yup. He was hoping it would lead to us having a threesome," said Beca, rolling her eyes. "To each their own, but that's not really my thing."

"She swiped right!" exclaimed Chloe.

"Send her the gif!"

"Just that?"

"Yeah. The girl on Reddit swears by it. Said she has it down to a science," said Beca. She scrolled through the Reddit app on her phone. "Look. According to this user, you're telling them you think they are sexy. Hopefully, they think you're funny, and you're referencing a lesbian icon as well."

"Well, here goes," said Chloe, tapping her phone to send the message.

"Are you going to look for more?"

"No, I think this is a good start."

"Let me know if she answers."

"She just did. She's impressed, I think?" Chloe showed Beca the girl's reply. It was a gif of Chris Pratt looking impressed.

Chloe laughed when she saw the next message.

"What?" asked Beca.

"It says 'Am I doing this right?' I guess she's new too."

Beca sat next to Chloe. "Tell her, 'Yes.'"

"No."

"What?"

"Okay, Beca. I really appreciate you helping me get started, but I really need to do this myself. I can't have a conversation with her when you're looking over my shoulder."

"Come on, dude. It was just getting good!"

"Beca, I'm not answering her until you leave."

"At least tell me her name?"

"Aubrey. Now, OUT!" Chloe pointed toward the door.

"Yes, ma'am," said Beca. She made a little saluting gesture toward Chloe as she exited the apartment.

Chloe took a breath, thought for a minute and responded.

_C: I think so  
__A: ?  
__C: I'm new to HER  
__A: Oh  
__C: So, you're an attorney?  
__A: Yes. You're a vet?  
__C: Yes._

Chloe realized she needed to add something or the conversation was dead in the water.

_C: Do you like animals?  
__A: I do, but I don't own any_

Chloe decided to just dive right in. A conversation had to be easier in person.

_C: So, I guess we should plan on a date?  
__A: How do I know you're not a crazy person?  
__C: I'm not  
__C: You can find my picture on the website for the emergency animal clinic  
__C: I'm the only redheaded female vet on the site_

Chloe waited a few minutes before getting a response.

_A: Okay, fine, I believe you  
__C: How do I know you're not crazy?  
__A: Look up Posen Squad  
__A: I'm the one who's not a guy  
__A: The old guy is my dad ;)  
__A: The young guy is my older brother_

Chloe looked up the law firm and saw that Aubrey was part of a team of lawyers with her father and brother. They appeared to deal with medical malpractice. She clicked Aubrey's picture to see she'd graduated from Yale and specialized in birth injury cases.

_C: Why birth injuries?  
__A: My best friend growing up had a child with cerebral palsy  
__A: She was my first case  
__A: I found out the doctor hadn't performed a cesarean in time  
__A: Now her daughter has money for a lifetime of care  
__C: That's amazing  
__C: So, a date?  
__C: I should warn you I keep weird hours.  
__C: I work the 6p-2a shift  
__A: Yeah I saw  
__A: Animal Doctor By Night  
__A: Ever have off on weekends?  
__C: Some  
__A: When is your next day off?  
__C: I'm off today  
__A: LOL eager much?  
__C: You asked  
__A: Okay  
__A: I can meet you for coffee in an hour  
__C: I can do that. Where?  
__A: Urth Caffe  
__A: In Orange  
__C: See you there_

Chloe debated on whether or not to share the news with Beca. On one hand, she was excited about her date. On the other, she knew Beca would be back over in a heartbeat. She could use someone to help her decide what to wear, but she also needed a few moments to gather her thoughts. She eventually decided she'd text Beca after she'd had some time to think, and they could talk over FaceTime about what Chloe would wear and how to do her hair.

Chloe sat, thinking, for a bit. She tried to remember the last time she'd been on a first date. It had been with Kori, back in her vet school days. That had been okay, as first dates go. She didn't know much about Aubrey, so she figured they could just get to know each other. That was easy enough.

She texted Beca, asking to FaceTime. Beca had wanted to come over and help Chloe prepare, but Chloe was adamant that she could handle doing this over FaceTime. The two connected, and the first thing Beca did was have Chloe show her some outfits.

First, Chloe grabbed a pink blouse and black pants. Beca gave them a shrug.

Next, she grabbed a red button-down shirt with carousel horses printed on it. Beca gave an adamant shake of her head.

Chloe spent another minute flipping through her closet before grabbing a blue checkered sleeveless dress.

"That one!" exclaimed Beca. "It really brings out your eyes. What shoes are you wearing?"

"I was thinking of my wedge sandals."

"That looks cute. Now, hair?"

"I was going to go with brushing it out nicely."

"Sounds good."

"Okay, Beca. I'm going to let you go."

"Promise me a selfie before you leave."

"Okay."

Chloe got ready, choosing to keep her makeup fairly neutral. It was, after all, a coffee date. She sent Beca a selfie, receiving an almost immediate "thumbs-up" approval, and headed to the coffee shop.

She arrived about five minutes early and immediately spotted Aubrey seated at a table near the door, wearing a pink dress. She was relieved that the woman was just as pretty as she'd been in her profile picture. She'd heard multiple stories about people putting up fake profile pictures and worse.

"Hi! I'm Chloe. You're Aubrey, right?"

"Hi! Yes. Should we order?"

"Sure," said Chloe. The two got in line to place their orders.

Aubrey ordered a black coffee, and Chloe bit her lip for a second before ordering. After taking a moment to decide she'd place her normal order and let Aubrey decide whether or not to judge her, she said, "Spanish Latté Granita, please."

Aubrey's lips curled into a small smile, but all said was, "Do you want anything else? My treat."

"Citrus ginger scone, please."

"Make that two."

Aubrey paid for their food, grabbed a number, and the two decided on a table closer to the back of the restaurant.

Chloe decided to dive right into the conversation. "So, tell me about yourself."

"I grew up here in LA. As I'm sure you saw on the law firm's website, my father and older brother are attorneys, and we practice together."

"Did you always want to be an attorney?"

"Well, aside from a brief period of time in kindergarten when I wanted to be a purple unicorn, yes," Aubrey said, chuckling. "I saw what my dad could do for people, and I loved the idea that I could do that as well."

"Did your father and brother go to Yale as well?"

"My dad, yes. My brother, no. He went to Harvard," she said. "Rebel."

Chloe snickered. "I suppose so."

"I come from a long line of Yale graduates, but I am the first woman in my family to go to Yale. I think my brother wanted to do his own thing. And, it low-grade annoyed my father that he had a son at Harvard instead of Yale."

"That's funny."

"Yeah. My mom is a homemaker. She's been trying to talk my dad into retiring for years, but I secretly think he continues to work because she drives him crazy!"

"I think I like your dad already."

"So, that's me. What about you?"

"Well, I grew up in Portland, Oregon. My dad and sister still live there. Mom died four years ago of breast cancer."

"Was she sick for long?"

"About a year. It was tough."

"I'm sure. How did you end up in LA?"

"I followed a girl after I graduated from vet school. We split soon after I took the job at the emergency vet clinic. She said it was my work hours, but I really just think we'd grown apart. Looking back, I think I followed her in a last-ditch effort to save things."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"Don't be. We don't talk anymore, but I don't harbor any ill-will. Life's too short. Enough about my ex, though. I was the first woman in my family to graduate college, so my attending vet school was really surprising. My sister married her high-school sweetheart right after graduation, and she got pregnant with Kate a couple of months later. She's a stay-at-home mom of three kids now. Kate is eight, Matt is six and Charlotte - we call her Charlie - is four. I don't see everyone as much as I'd like, but I adore being the cool gay aunt."

"That's cute. Do you want kids of your own?"

Chloe shook her head. "No. I love my sister's kids, but I see what she goes through. I'll stick to being a dog mom," she said. "I hope that's not a dealbreaker."

Aubrey said, "It's not. I haven't decided whether or not I want kids."

"Good," said Chloe.

"So, have you been here before?"

"Not this location. It's really nice, though."

"It's my favorite one. I like the ambiance."

Things continued nicely on the date. Chloe learned that Aubrey had been part of an a cappella singing group at Yale called Redhot and Blue. She loved singing and still kept in touch with other alumni of the group. Chloe told Aubrey all about her moving to LA, adopting Billie, and her work at the emergency animal clinic.

At the end of the date, Chloe stretched out her arms for a hug at the very moment Aubrey offered her hand for a handshake. Both women pulled back their hands.

"I'm a hugger. Sorry, I thought…" Chloe stammered.

"It's okay," said Aubrey. "I really enjoyed your company, but I didn't feel a...spark if that makes sense?"

Chloe thought for a moment before responding. "I guess I didn't either," she admitted.

"We could still hang out, though, as friends, if that's okay with you?"

"I think that would be awes."

"Awes?"

"Awesome."

"Right," said Aubrey, putting her hand out for a handshake again. "Friends?"

Chloe shook Aubrey's hand. "Friends."

* * *

Chloe texted Beca when she got home.

_Chloe: I'm back from my date.  
__Beca: And?  
__Chloe: We enjoyed each other's company  
__Beca: But…  
__Chloe: But we decided to just be friends  
__Beca: What happened?  
__Chloe: ️ Just no spark  
__Beca: Fair enough  
__Beca: Gonna swipe right on someone else?  
__Chloe: Not today  
__Chloe: But I will  
__Chloe: I've had enough excitement for today_


	4. Chapter 4

Chloe and Aubrey got to know each other pretty well over the next few weeks, both finding it much easier to communicate now that the awkwardness of trying to pursue a romantic relationship was out of the way.

Chloe had swiped right on a few other women on Her, but she hadn't gone on any other dates.

One day, a few weeks after her failed date with Aubrey, Chloe was surprised to hear a knock on her apartment door. She opened the door to find Beca there in tears.

"Come on in, Beca! What's wrong?" She wrapped her friend in a hug as she stepped inside.

"Have you seen the headlines? It's all over the place!"

"What is?"

"Just google my name."

Chloe pulled out her phone and did so. It appeared the news had come out about the split, and all of the articles accused Beca of cheating.

"_Beca Mitchell Gets Cozy with Swanson's Assistant,"_ said Chloe, reading the title of one of them, wrinkling her nose.

Beca pointed to the photo with the article. "I gave Benji a hug after he brought over some of my stuff. He might actually be taking the divorce worse than either of us. I guess someone followed him," she said, rolling her eyes. Beca had recently rented an apartment, but she'd mistakenly left a few things behind at the house. Jesse had asked Benji to deliver them.

"_Jesse Swanson Heartbroken After Seeing Beca Mitchell with Assistant," _Chloe read another title.

"Benji and I spent time together all the time. He and I got along great and we used to joke about what a disaster Jesse would be without him. I've hugged him plenty of times, but someone catches a photo of it somewhere other than my house, and it's news."

"Beca, I'm so sorry."

"I didn't cheat on Jesse. You believe me, don't you?"

"Of course."

"Why is he doing this? I'm sure his publicist was involved. He's a blabbermouth and probably told her everything. I'm sure she convinced his dumb ass to give her a few quotes to use. Maybe he's hoping people will think 'poor Jesse' and he'll get more of the spotlight. Work has been a little light for him lately."

"People who are hurting do shitty things sometimes," said Chloe. She went through a few kitchen cabinets before producing two wine glasses and a couple of bottles of wine. "Red or white?"

"Red, please."

Chloe poured them both a small glass of red wine. "I'm sorry he's making things difficult for you."

"Thanks. I just don't know what to do," said Beca, as Billie walked in from Chloe's bedroom and ran up to Beca. She lifted Billie onto her lap and began to pet her.

"Talk to your publicist," Chloe said as she grabbed a box of tissues from her linen closet and placed them on her coffee table.

"I have, and I'm sure she'll handle it. Jesse and I were actually starting to have civilized conversations, and then he pulls this stunt!"

"You knew you couldn't keep the divorce under wraps forever."

"I guess I just thought we'd discuss things together with our publicists first."

"I'm sure your publicist will know what to do. There's got to be some sort of a statement you can release. Would Benji back you up and say there was nothing going on?"

"I have no idea if anyone would believe him if he did."

Chloe gave Beca a light squeeze on the arm. "This will pass as soon as the next celebrity gossip hits."

"You're right," said Beca.

"Hey, do you mind if I go into the bathroom and wash up a little? I'm sure I'm a mess."

"You look fine, but go ahead," said Chloe, moving Billie from Beca's lap to hers.

Just as Beca shut the door to the bathroom, Chloe heard a knock at her door. She set Billie down gently on the floor so she could answer the door. She was confused for a moment when she saw Aubrey.

"Did I get the time wrong?" asked Aubrey.

"No," said Chloe. She saw Aubrey look over at the wine glasses on the coffee table.

"It's okay if you have a date here," she said.

"Oh, no, I don't," said Chloe. "A friend came by unexpectedly, needing to talk. She's in the bathroom. I got distracted and temporarily forgot we'd made plans."

"I can leave if you want."

"I think she's okay now," said Chloe. "Wine?"

"Sure."

"Red okay?"

"Have you ever seen me drink white?"

"Good point," said Chloe as she grabbed a wine glass from her cabinet and poured some more of the red wine for Aubrey.

Just after Aubrey took the glass from Chloe, the bathroom door opened. Aubrey dropped her wine glass in shock, causing it to shatter and spill red wine all over Chloe's carpet.

"Aren't you-?" Aubrey seemed unable to finish her sentence.

"God, Chloe, really?" asked Beca. "Had to show me off to your new girlfriend?"

"Okay, both of you," said Chloe, picking up her dog, who'd taken a sudden interest in the spilled drink. "Aubrey, this is Beca. But I guess you already know her name. Beca, Aubrey isn't my girlfriend. I already told you we decided to just be friends. You came over here of your own accord. I didn't even tell Aubrey who was here because I just see you as my friend Beca, not some celebrity."

"And you're not dating Beca?" asked Aubrey.

"Nope," said Chloe. "I just gave her some wine because she was upset. Now, how do I get this out of the carpet?"

"Right," said Aubrey. "Sorry. I'll grab some paper towels."

Beca rolled her eyes. "Seriously, you two. I can't believe neither of you knows how to get red wine out of the carpet. Chloe, grab a cloth. Something really absorbent and light-colored. Aubrey, grab some cold water."

Chloe put Billie in her bedroom to keep her out of the mess and grabbed a white microfiber cloth she ordinarily used for cleaning. "Chloe, soak up as much of the stain as you can. Aubrey, once she's done that, pour a little cold water to help dilute it."

After Aubrey had poured the water, Beca said, "Okay, now make a baking soda paste - three parts baking soda, one part water. Put that on the stain."

"Now, what?" asked Chloe, after she'd covered the stain with the baking soda paste.

"Let it dry and vacuum up the baking soda. Works every time!"

"How did you know that?" asked Chloe.

"Jesse has a bad habit of spilling wine. I looked it up on the internet after we'd paid for a few more carpet cleanings than I really wished we had."

"Can we start over?" asked Aubrey. "I'm Aubrey Posen, a friend of Chloe's."

"Beca."

"So, how did you two meet?" asked Aubrey.

Chloe looked at Beca for a second, seeing a panicked look in her eyes. "Oh, I met her on one of my late-night grocery shopping adventures."

"Your what?" asked Aubrey.

"I have a bad habit of waiting until there's no food before going to the store. Since I get home from work around 2:30 am, I frequently find myself at the grocery store around 3 am. Believe it or not, it's a pretty good time to shop. No lines. Sometimes the produce isn't all that great, though."

Aubrey turned to Beca. "And, why were you there?"

"That's a story for another day."

"Right," said Aubrey. Chloe saw Aubrey's eyes cut to Beca's left hand, which hadn't been wearing a wedding ring since the night Chloe met her.

Beca appeared to have noticed because she said, "The articles that came out today are partially true. Jesse and I are through, but nobody cheated." She went on to explain that they'd disagreed on the subject of children and things had come to a head.

"I'm sorry things didn't work out," said Aubrey.

"Me too," said Beca. "So, I should go. You two had plans."

"Stay," said Chloe. "If that's okay with you, Aubrey."

"I don't mind."

"What were you two going to do?" asked Beca.

"We discovered we share a guilty pleasure. We were going to watch a few episodes of _The Golden Girls_," said Chloe.

Beca began to laugh so hard she doubled over and couldn't form words.

"Look, if you don't want to stay, you can just-"

"It's not that!" Beca cut Aubrey off. "It's totally my guilty pleasure too. I used to watch it with my grandma when I'd spend the night at her house when I was a little girl. It was in syndication by then, but she would watch it every night. I tend to watch it when I find it's on TV because it reminds me of her. I never admitted that to people because it seems so weird."

"It's on Hulu," said Chloe, as she turned on her TV and selected the app.

"I never thought to look," said Beca.

"Before we start, can I get anybody more wine?" asked Chloe.

"Sure," said Beca.

"Yes," said Aubrey. "I'm sorry I broke the glass and messed up your carpet, Chloe. I'll pay you for both."

"Don't worry about it," said Chloe. "I should have warned you about Beca being here. We've been hanging out so much lately that I forgot she's famous. Accidents happen."

"And, believe me, the stain will come out as soon as the baking soda dries. I've used it enough times that I swear by it!"

The three women were interrupted by Billie scratching at the bedroom door.

Aubrey asked, "Hey, Chloe, can I let Billie out?"

"I think so," she said. "Just put her on the couch. I don't want her walking near the spill because there still might be glass. I really don't want to have to bring her to my work tonight to get her paw stitched!"

Aubrey opened Chloe's bedroom door and immediately scooped up the tiny pooch. Billie happily curled up in Aubrey's lap when she sat on the couch, relishing the attention.

"Do you have any popcorn?" asked Beca.

"Of course," said Chloe. She tossed a bag into the microwave, hitting the appropriate buttons before bringing Aubrey a new glass of wine and refilling Beca's.

Once the popcorn was popped and in a bowl, the three women sat down to watch a few episodes.

"We're on season two, episode five. I hope that's okay," said Chloe.

"Fine with me," said Beca.

Less than five minutes in, all three women were cackling at Sophia's comments about Dorothy's old friend from college being a lesbian. "Jean is a nice person. She happens to like girls instead of guys. Some people like cats instead of dogs. Frankly, I'd rather live with a lesbian than a cat. Unless a lesbian sheds...that I don't know."

"Hey, Chlo, when did this air?" asked Beca.

"November 1986," said Chloe, pausing the episode and reading the info off of the screen.

"I can't imagine what it must have been like to be gay back then," said Aubrey.

"It was weird enough telling my parents back in high school," said Chloe.

"I didn't figure it out until college," said Aubrey. "All it took was an evening of experimenting with my first roommate, and I knew, though. I didn't have to tell my parents. They showed up early to pick me up for Thanksgiving break and saw me making out with her outside the dining hall. I was totally embarrassed, but they took it well."

They resumed the episode.

Beca laughed when Blanche said, "Well, why not? A man has so much more to offer, you know what I mean, Dorothy?"

"Believe me, they do NOT," Beca said.

"Poor Jean," said Chloe. "How many of us have fallen in love with a straight girl?"

"I think that's a requirement," said Aubrey.

"Been there," said Beca.

Aubrey quickly snapped her head toward Beca, and asked, "What?!"

Beca's cheeks turned pink. "Bi girl here, dude."

"How did I not know that?"

"I'll tell you what I told Chloe. I haven't dated a woman since I became famous. Nobody ever questioned my sexuality when Jesse and I went public with our relationship, and I never felt the need to share it."

"Well, you learn something new every day," said Aubrey.

The three of them spent the rest of the evening watching more episodes and laughing. When the clock hit midnight, Beca said, "Okay, that's it for me. I got a text from my publicist. She wants me over at 9 am so we can release a statement. I told her to just write one, but she wants to talk to me before doing so."

"That's probably good that she wants your input," said Aubrey.

"I'd personally be fine with a 'parted ways' and 'irreconcilable differences' with a side of 'respect our privacy' blah blah blah. But I'm sure she'll know what to do. That's why I hired her."

"Sorry, Becs," said Chloe.

"Comes with the territory," said Beca. "Night, Chlo. Nice meeting you, Aubrey!"

Once Beca left, Aubrey turned to Chloe. "I can't believe you're friends with Beca Mitchell and you didn't tell me!"

"I'm serious, Aubrey. We've been hanging out for a while, and I just see her as my friend Beca. Most of the time, I don't even remember she's famous anymore."

Aubrey shook her head. "She did seem pretty down to earth."

"She is."

"Well, I need to head home too. Work beckons, as usual, tomorrow morning!"

"Night, Aubrey," said Chloe.

* * *

Chloe woke up to a text from Beca around noon the next day.

_Beca: Saw the publicist_

_Beca: I hate having to do this_

Beca linked an article with her latest statement.

"Beca Mitchell Confirms Split with Jesse Swanson" was the title. In it, Beca had said, "Jesse and I have decided to part ways due to irreconcilable differences. Rumors of infidelity are simply not true. Please respect our privacy at this difficult time."

_Beca: Text me when you're up_

Chloe texted Beca back.

_Chloe: I think it's a good statement  
__Beca: I hate that I have to give one at all  
__Chloe: Me too  
__Beca: I have to see the lawyer tomorrow  
__Beca: We have to discuss the division of property  
__Chloe: Sorry  
__Beca: One step closer  
__Chloe: Good way to think about it  
__Chloe: Thanks for the help with the wine  
__Chloe: You were totally right, worked like a charm  
__Beca: Don't thank me, thank Google 😂_

The next day, Chloe woke up to another text from Beca asking to text her when she was up for the day.

_Chloe: I'm awake. What's up?  
__Beca: Any chance we can get together today? I'm having a rough time  
__Chloe: I had plans with Aubrey for lunch (breakfast for me)  
__Chloe: I can ask if you can join us_

Without waiting for an answer, Chloe texted Aubrey to ask if Beca could come along for lunch. Aubrey immediately replied that Beca was more than welcome.

_Beca: You don't have to do that  
__Chloe: Too late, already asked, join us  
__Beca: You sure?  
__Chloe: Aubrey said you are more than welcome  
__Beca: Okay_

Chloe texted Beca the information for lunch.

Aubrey was already at the table, looking professional in a three-piece suit with her hair tied up in a neat French twist when Chloe arrived at the diner. Beca arrived right after Chloe.

"Hey, guys," said Beca. "Thanks so much for letting me crash your lunch."

"You're welcome anytime," said Aubrey as Chloe nodded in agreement.

"So, what's up?" asked Chloe.

Beca said, "Jesse's a dick."

"What happened?" asked Chloe.

"I just saw John this morning. He's my attorney. Jesse wants everything. He wants the house, and pretty much everything except my car. The only reason he can't have that is that it's in my name only and I bought it before we were married. He wants alimony too. Can you believe that? I'm surprised he didn't ask for a few pints of blood!"

"You didn't have a prenup?" asked Aubrey.

"No," said Beca. "I wanted one, but Jesse refused. He said that was just for couples who don't plan on staying together. I really should have insisted."

"Who's your attorney?" asked Aubrey.

"John Smith, attorney to the stars."

"Oh, no," said Aubrey. "He's a disaster."

"How do you know that?" asked Beca, furrowing her brow.

"I'm an attorney," said Aubrey. "I don't handle divorces, but I know the guy."

"Can you help her?" asked Chloe.

"Well, I can't really take the case. I really don't have the knowledge or expertise, but I can call in a favor and see if my friend Gail can see you," said Aubrey. "She's a fellow Yale alum and a former member of Redhot and Blue."

"What's Redhot and Blue?"

"My a cappella group from college."

"Oh, right, that's a thing," said Beca. Chloe smiled to herself because she could see Beca was trying not to laugh at Aubrey.

The server came to take their orders, and Aubrey headed outside for a few minutes afterward to call her friend.

"Why didn't you tell me Aubrey was an attorney?" asked Beca.

"It never came up," said Chloe, shrugging.

"Right," said Beca. "So, what kind of attorney is she?"

"She handles birth injury cases."

"Interesting."

Aubrey came back inside. "Gail will see you at eight tomorrow morning."

"Really? Thanks!"

"Who's Jesse's lawyer?"

"Bumper Allen," said Beca.

"I went to law school with him," said Aubrey. "He's an asshole. I'm sure he told Jesse he could get everything. That actually explains a lot. Anyway, Gail has gone up against him plenty of times before, and she'll know what to do."

"Thanks so much, Aubrey," said Beca. "I owe you one."

The server arrived with their food and they spent the rest of the meal chatting lightly. Chloe was thrilled to see Beca and Aubrey getting along so well. In fact, Aubrey seemed to have adjusted to the idea of Beca being a friend who happens to be famous more quickly than Chloe had.

When lunch ended, Aubrey insisted on picking up the check. She made sure Beca had all of Gail's information, and the three women parted ways.

It was a few days before Chloe spoke with Beca or Aubrey beyond more than a few texts. Aubrey was in court, and Beca had written a new song she wanted to try out in the studio.

Chloe invited the two of them over for another wine and TV night, and she was glad they both accepted.

Beca arrived first with a smile on her face.

"Hey, Beca, glad to see you happy. I feel like I haven't seen much of that lately," said Chloe.

"Aubrey did me a huge favor putting me in touch with Gail."

"Oh?"

"I'd rather tell you when you're both here."

As if on cue, Chloe's doorbell rang. Aubrey was on the other side, a bottle of red wine in hand. "I know you said not to worry about it, but I brought this anyway."

"Thanks, Aubrey," said Chloe. "I'll open this up and pour us some wine. Beca, do you mind grabbing the snacks out of the fridge? I got us a charcuterie tray."

"You with the big fancy words, Chlo," said Beca. "Do I have to eat this with my pinky in the air?"

"Maybe," said Chloe.

"Before we start, I really wanted to thank you, Aubrey. Gail is amazing!"

"So, things went well?"

"Yeah," said Beca. "Jesse was trying to say that I'd abandoned the marriage, and he was entitled to everything. Gail told me that's definitely not how the law works, and she and I wrote what I think is a far more fair arrangement. If he stays at the house, he definitely doesn't get alimony, and I'll take a lot of the furniture. There are a few other things we can consider, but at least I don't feel like I'm getting screwed. She said renting an apartment is a good idea until the divorce is final. If I buy a place of my own, he might try to go after it."

"I'm glad she could help you," said Aubrey. "Gail has gone against Bumper quite a few times, and I'm sure she won't disappoint."

"So, what's new with you?" asked Beca.

"I had a lunch date today," said Chloe.

"Do tell," said Aubrey.

"Her name is Cynthia Rose. She told me her parents got her name from 'Starfish and Coffee' by Prince."

"Her parents sound pretty cool," said Beca.

"I thought so too," said Chloe. "Anyway, she's in the AirForce. She said she joined because she got kicked out of flight school for killing three hundred fake people. I thought that was funny."

"I like her sense of humor," said Aubrey. "Where did you find her?"

"Same app where I found you," said Chloe.

"Picture?" asked Beca.

Chloe fired up the app and pulled up the picture to show her friends. Cynthia Rose had skin the color of cocoa, and her hair was done in a series of long braids. Both women nodded in approval.

"Anyway, so, I thought things were going pretty well," said Chloe. "But, at the end of the date, she finally confessed that she'd been through a recent breakup. She liked me, but she'd spent the whole date mentally comparing me to Denise, her ex."

"What did you say?" asked Aubrey.

"There wasn't a whole lot to say," said Chloe. "I thanked her for her honesty and told her I'd be happy to revisit the dating idea if she changed her mind."

"Well, that's not awful," said Beca.

"I had a date last night," said Aubrey.

"I hope it went better than mine," said Chloe.

"What's her name?" asked Beca.

"Stacie," said Aubrey. "And, it was awesome." Her face turned red.

"You totally got laid," said Chloe.

Aubrey's face turned even redder. "Well, yeah," she said.

"Okay, I definitely need a picture," said Beca.

"What is it with you and pictures?" asked Chloe.

"I'm technically still married, and both my attorney and publicist agree it's best I'm not seen dating anyone until the divorce is final. Let me live vicariously through the two of you."

Aubrey fired up the app and pulled up Stacie's profile.

"Oh my god, are those boobs real?!" asked Beca.

"Definitely," said Aubrey, her blush immediately returning as she hid her face in her hands.

"Are you seriously incapable of talking about sex?" asked Chloe.

"Blame my conservative upbringing," said Aubrey.

"Fair enough," said Beca. "Tell us the rest. I'm not getting laid anytime soon, so maybe it's best to not rile me up."

Chloe thought she saw Beca fire a glance in her general direction, but she immediately dismissed the thought. The woman had been her celebrity crush for years, and the idea that Beca would be remotely interested in her was a pipe dream at best.

"So, I found Stacie on Her, just like I found Chloe," said Aubrey. "The picture I showed you was her profile picture. I didn't even have to think about swiping right on her. And, before you ask, Chloe, no question about you either." She winked at Chloe.

"Thank you," said Chloe.

"Stacie invited me to go mini-golfing. She totally kicked my ass at it. I got more than a little distracted watching her bend over to pick up her golf ball," said Aubrey, blushing again. "We went out for a sushi dinner, and then we walked around Downtown Disney before we settled down to sit and watch the fireworks."

"How were the fireworks?" asked Chloe. "I keep meaning to catch them on my nights off, but I haven't gotten there yet."

"Awesome, but I have pretty high expectations for Disney."

"And the fireworks after?" asked Beca, wagging her eyebrows.

Aubrey blushed almost crimson. "Amazing," she mumbled.

"Stop tormenting her," said Chloe.

"Sorry," said Beca. "It's just so easy, and I can't help but find your blushing hilarious."

"Can we please start the show?" asked Aubrey.

"Just tell us you have another date set up with her," said Chloe.

"We're going out for Italian food next Friday," said Aubrey.

"Nice. Should we pick up where we left off in _The Golden Girls_?" asked Beca.

"Totes," said Chloe, as Aubrey nodded.

The three women enjoyed another evening laughing at the antics of Dorothy, Sophia, Blanche, and Rose.

Beca left first. "I'm still working on my new song," she said. "I'll definitely say this divorce has fueled my creativity. I've been writing songs for years, but this is the first one I've felt compelled to record. It's about time I sang my own stuff instead of what others write for me anyway. So, I'm going to cut out. I can work in the studio by myself if I go in tomorrow."

"Don't you live alone?" asked Aubrey.

"I do, but it's easier to focus in the studio, even when others are working. Fewer distractions."

"Got it," said Aubrey.

"Goodnight, you two!" called Beca as she left.

"Are you sure you and Beca are just friends?" asked Aubrey.

"Yeah, why?" asked Chloe.

"Because I kept catching her staring at you throughout the night."

Chloe shrugged. "It's not like she'd ever want me. I'm not famous or anything like that," said Chloe.

"Don't sell yourself short," said Aubrey. "Two failed dates on Her doesn't mean you're not one hot, sexy babe."

Chloe shook her head, chuckling. "Even if she _did _want me, she's not dating until the divorce is final. Just think what the press will do if she's seen dating a woman right now. They'll say Beca left Jesse because she discovered she's gay!"

"You're right," said Aubrey. "At least try the app again. I know it's early, but I've already fallen hard for Stacie."

"I will," said Chloe. "Tomorrow."

Aubrey yawned. "Glad to hear it," she said. "I should cut out too."

"Stacie wear you out?" asked Chloe, winking.

"Shut up," said Aubrey, grinning and blushing.

"Beca's right," said Chloe. "You are _so_ easy to embarrass."

Chloe put the wine glasses and plates in the dishwasher and put the remainder of the charcuterie in the refrigerator. She took Billie on a short walk to do her business and headed to bed. She had a hard time falling asleep, thoughts of Beca in her head. She wondered if she and Aubrey were imagining things. She decided time would tell.


	5. Chapter 5

A week later, on her day off, Chloe found herself getting ready for a date with someone she'd met on the app. They were going to meet at Dave and Buster's. She dressed in the pink top and black skinny jeans Beca had given a shrug when she was getting ready for her date with Aubrey.

However, when she arrived at Dave and Buster's, she looked around for the woman in the picture, but she was nowhere to be found. Just as she was about to leave, a man tapped her on the shoulder.

"Excuse me, but are you Chloe?"

"Yes, why?"

"I have a confession to make. I'm Donna. Well, I'm actually Donald."

Chloe took a moment to look at the man. He had the same coloring as the woman in the picture on the app, but he appeared to be a cis-male. "I don't understand. How are _you_ Donna and what the hell were you doing on Her if you're a guy?" she asked, narrowing her eyes at him. Chloe knew non-binaries were welcome on the app, but she somehow didn't think this was the case with Donald.

"I'm trying to help," he said. "I have this theory that all lesbians can be cured if they meet the right guy. I'm offering my services. I had a friend who is very skilled in Photoshop alter my photo so I'd appear female."

"There's nothing to cure," said Chloe. "I'm proud of who I am, and it's sure as hell not _your_ job to 'fix' me if I were broken."

"Suit yourself," said Donald as he turned to leave. "Enjoy your time in Hell!"

"If I'm going to Hell for who I am, I'd rather go there. I think I'd find many more interesting people!" Chloe retorted before immediately turning away from him and leaving the place in tears. She headed straight to Beca's apartment.

She rang the doorbell and immediately burst into tears again when Beca answered the door.

"Chlo, what's the matter?" she asked, pulling Chloe in for a hug.

"Online dating sucks!" exclaimed Chloe. She reiterated the whole story about her latest dating app match.

"Oh, honey, I'm so sorry," said Beca. "You need to go on the app and report him. That's just so wrong in so many ways. Why does he think his magic penis will suddenly turn you or any other woman straight?"

Chloe giggled at Beca's use of the term "magic penis." "I don't know, and I don't want to find out," she said. She fired up the app and reported "Donna" for actually being a cis-male. She was sure he'd just make another profile and catfish some other poor soul, but she had to at least try.

"How about I invite Aubrey over and we'll binge-watch some more stuff?"

"I'd say yes, but I'm pretty sure she has a date with Stacie tonight."

"Right," said Beca. "At least one of us is getting laid."

"I think I'm going to delete my profile," said Chloe, pulling out her phone. "I'm 0 for 3."

"Why don't you just take a break from it?" asked Beca. "You could just leave your profile up and see if you like someone who swipes right on you. Let the right girl find you."

"I suppose it's not a bad idea," said Chloe. "Can we still binge-watch something?"

"Sure, but let's save _The Golden Girls_ for when Aubrey can hang next. Assuming we can tear her away from Stacie at some point."

"What else do you like?" asked Chloe.

"As much as I dislike movies, I actually like television. So, pretty much whatever you want. I have cable and most of the streaming services."

"_Game of Thrones?" _asked Chloe.

"Oh my god, I love that show!" exclaimed Beca.

"Where should we start?"

"From the beginning? I haven't watched it from the beginning in a while."

"Me neither," said Beca. "I don't have much of anything to eat around here, so what do you think about ordering in?"

"Fine with me."

Beca opened a kitchen drawer and grabbed a few takeout menus. "Whatever you want," she said, handing them to Chloe. "My treat."

Chloe picked Thai, and Beca placed the order. Chloe thought she spotted a lingering glance, but she told herself she was seeing things. The prior week's conversation with Aubrey had likely planted ideas in her head.

"Wine?" asked Beca.

"Got anything stronger?" asked Chloe.

Beca opened a cabinet in her kitchen to reveal what looked to be a full bar. "Take your pick," she said.

"You have a full bar?" asked Chloe incredulously.

"Pretty much," said Beca. "I used to entertain people as part of my job, so I had one at the house. I took the alcohol with me when I moved out, much to Jesse's chagrin."

"Nice," said Chloe. She looked over the choices. "Can you make me a whiskey sour?"

"Coming right up," said Beca. She mixed up the drink for Chloe and then poured herself a gin and tonic. She was just putting the drinks on the table when the food arrived.

The two women enjoyed their food and drinks before starting up the show.

"Another?" asked Beca after the first episode.

"Totes," said Chloe, handing Beca the empty glass.

A little while later, Chloe found herself being nudged awake. She'd somehow curled up next to Beca and fallen asleep.

"Come on, you," said Beca. "I think you've had enough. You shouldn't drive. Stay here. You can sleep in my bed."

"I can?"

"It's the least I can do. I'll take the couch. I'll loan you some pajamas."

"Can I have the Hello Kitty ones?" asked Chloe.

Beca rolled her eyes. "Only if you promise not to tell anybody I own them."

"Yes, ma'am," said Chloe, mock saluting Beca.

Beca turned away as Chloe began to strip right there in the middle of her bedroom.

"Aww, Beca. You can look," said Chloe as she giggled. "I'm pretty confident about...all this." Chloe gestured down her body.

Beca said, "You should be." She turned around and put her face in her hands.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, Chloe."

"Turn around, Becs, I'm dressed!"

"Okay, Chloe, do you need anything else?"

"A cuddle?"

"I think I've given you enough cuddles for a while," said Beca, grabbing a pillow for herself. "I'll be in the living room if you need anything."

"Okay," said Chloe as she climbed into bed and felt her eyelids getting heavy.

* * *

The next morning, Chloe woke up in a strange bed in strange pajamas with a raging headache. She looked at the nightstand and saw a glass of water, a couple of pain reliever pills, and a post-it note saying, "Thought you could use these. Come to the living room when you're up! - Beca. P.S. I'm running out on a quick errand, so just text me if you don't see me."

Chloe swallowed the pain relievers and lay back down in the bed. She looked down at herself and saw she had on hot pink Hello Kitty pajamas - the same ones Beca had been wearing when she saw her at the grocery store the night she met her. It hadn't been all that long ago, yet she and Beca had grown so close that it seemed like a lifetime ago. She thought for a minute and vaguely recalled asking Beca if she could wear them. She also thought she may have told Beca she was pretty confident about her body. She winced at that, hoping that it had been a dream.

She grabbed her phone, checking the call log and message history to make sure she hadn't sent any drunk texts or drunk dialed anyone. She was relieved to see she hadn't. She checked her e-mail and saw the staff at Her had responded to her complaint. It was a standard apology for the inconvenience that also stated the account had been deleted. It was the response she'd expected, but, for some reason, Chloe wished they'd been able to do more. She decided to take Beca's advice for now and let people on the app choose her.

She played around on social media for a little while until the pain reliever kicked in and then headed to the living room to see Beca.

She was surprised to see Billie shortly after she opened the bedroom door.

"Billie? How did you get here?"

"Morning!" called Beca from the kitchen. "I hope you don't mind, but I grabbed your keys while you were asleep. I went to check on Billie and take her out to do her business. After I did that, I saw her little travel crate, so I brought her things with me. I know how much you worry about her. She was an excellent passenger in the car."

"Awww, Beca…" said Chloe as she picked up her dog. She began to speak to Billie in her cartoon voice. "Mommy is sorry she didn't get home last night, but she's glad Auntie Beca came over. Were you a good girl? I know you were."

Chloe heard Beca chuckle at the conversation with the dog.

"It's my fault you drank so much last night, and I was worried about Billie when I got up. You were dead to the world, so I just let you sleep."

"Beca, I'm a grown woman. I should have realized how much I was drinking. I hope I didn't do anything embarrassing."

"It's okay."

"Oh my god, what did I do?" Chloe asked, already beginning to bury her face.

Beca hesitated just a bit too long before saying, "Nothing."

"Was it _that_ bad?" she asked.

"Not _that _bad," said Beca.

"For the love, Beca, just tell me."

"You told me I was your celebrity crush and professed your love for me."

"That's not terrible," said Chloe. She noticed a blush creeping over Beca's face. "There's something else, though, isn't there?"

"You told me that several of my songs are your 'lady jams'. Complete with inappropriate hand gestures in case I wasn't clear on what you meant."

"Oh my god, I didn't."

Beca smiled. "You did. After that, I tried to just put you to bed, but you told me you wanted to sleep on me instead."

"What?"

"Yeah, I told you to go to sleep in my bed, and you said, 'But the bed is so far and you are so comfy.' There were very dramatic hand gestures as well," said Beca, demonstrating Chloe's illustration of how far away the bed was. "You went back to cuddling me, and you fell asleep almost immediately. Did you know you snore when you're drunk?"

"I do not."

"You sound like a damn buzzsaw."

"Sorry," said Chloe. "Why did I wake up in your bed? I remember asking to wear these pajamas but not much else."

"I ignored the snoring for a while, but then my arm fell asleep and I had to use the bathroom. So I gave you my bed. I'll never forget how you gave me your bed when Jesse and I first split. It was the least I could do."

"Did I...strip in front of you?"

Beca hesitated again.

"Oh, no, I _did! _I was hoping I was remembering a crazy dream. Shit!"

"Do you normally remove clothing when you drink?"

"I was known for it in college."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah. I was most famous for stripping naked, jumping into the pool at this frat house, and then getting mad when the others wouldn't join me."

"That's funny."

"I'm just glad it didn't end up on social media."

"I bet," said Beca. "Do you want some breakfast? I'm not much of a cook, but I can pour cereal into a bowl and I make a mean piece of toast."

Chloe chuckled. "Cereal's fine. Do you still have Lucky Charms?"

Beca rolled her eyes. "I'm never going to live that down, am I?"

"I didn't tell Aubrey, did I?"

"Fair point."

"Well, do you have Lucky Charms or not?"

"Oh, you were serious?" Beca pulled a new box of cereal out of her cabinet.

"Thanks!"

After breakfast, Chloe showered, changed into a tee and sweats she borrowed from Beca and headed home with Billie.

"Thanks again, Beca," said Chloe. "I'll wash these and have them back to you ASAP."

"No worries," said Beca. "Just consider this as payment for the time you helped me. I still can't believe you were the one who found me. I think any other person on earth would have taken advantage of me, and I'd never recover from the embarrassment."

"We're friends, Beca. We don't need to keep track of who does what for the other. We're there for each other, and that's all that matters."

"Well, then I suppose I'm lucky to have you as a friend."

"Feeling's mutual," said Chloe as she gave Beca a hug goodbye.

A few days later, Beca invited Chloe, Aubrey, and Stacie over for lunch and some television. She'd originally invited them over for dinner, but she'd switched it to lunch when Chloe had explained that she had to work that evening.

Stacie and Aubrey were already seated at Beca's table when Chloe arrived.

"Hi guys," said Chloe.

"This is Stacie," said Aubrey.

"Nice to meet you," said Chloe as she shook the woman's hand. "Your picture doesn't do you justice."

"Thanks," said Stacie.

"I got a platter of sandwiches from the grocery store," said Beca. "Help yourself. Do you want anything to drink?"

"Just a soda, please," said Chloe. "I never drink on workdays."

"Probably best for the animals," said Aubrey.

Everyone got to know Stacie as they ate lunch. They learned that Stacie was working on her fellowship to become a pediatric surgeon.

"Damn," said Beca. "A doctor, a lawyer, and a veterinarian. We could add 'walk into a bar' and there's probably a joke somewhere." The other three laughed and then Beca added, "I might be the dumbest person in the room."

"No way," said Chloe.

"I never even went to college," said Beca. "Much to my dad's chagrin. He is a professor at Barden University in Georgia. Had I not gotten my big break when I did, he would have all but forced me to go there and get a college education."

"College isn't for everyone," said Stacie. "Besides, you can always go later if you change your mind."

"Maybe," said Beca. "Anyway, I have a reason for inviting everyone here. Well, besides wanting to meet Stacie."

"You wanted to meet me?" asked Stacie. "Why?"

"I had to see the hot chick who's banging Aubrey," said Beca.

"Classy as always, Beca," said Aubrey, blushing a deep red.

"Wait, did you tell them about-"

"No!" yelled Aubrey as she put a hand over her girlfriend's mouth while the other two laughed. Stacie must have licked Aubrey's hand because she then pulled it off of her mouth.

"What?" asked Stacie, feigning innocence. "I thought you liked what I can do with my tongue."

Aubrey muttered something that sounded a lot like "I do" and a deep red blush creeped over her whole body.

"So, you're not as easily embarrassed as your girlfriend," said Chloe.

"Not in the least," said Stacie, smirking.

"So, what was your other reason?" asked Chloe.

"Right," said Beca. "So, I took some time the other day and I met Jesse for lunch. I wanted to see how much he and I could work out without our lawyers arguing."

"And?" asked Aubrey.

"Well, first off, he fired Bumper. Jesse didn't get specific, but he said the guy called me some pretty awful names when he saw Gail's and my response to his request. He said he just couldn't continue to work with and pay someone who would talk about me like that. I know, deep down a part of him still loves me. I guess a part of me still loves him as well. Anyway, get this, he hired Michael Fry, the Unicycle Guy!"

"Oh my god, you mean that weirdo attorney who rides a unicycle in all of his commercials?" asked Chloe.

"That's the guy. Anyway, we have things worked out pretty well with the division of property now. Our attorneys are working together to move the divorce along as quickly as possible."

"Really?" asked Aubrey. "That's wonderful. Divorces around here usually take forever."

"Gail seems to think she and Unicycle can fast track the process."

"That's great news," said Chloe.

"Yeah, it is," said Beca. "I can't wait to move on with my life. Jesse and I are going to sell the house and split the profits. I like this apartment, but I can't wait to own a bigger place again soon. Anyway, it's probably the best conversation we've had since the split. No fighting, no crying, and we even laughed a few times."

"Do you think you guys will end up as friends?" asked Chloe.

"I don't know. Maybe. I mean, we were together for ten years, married for seven. Now that we've had some time to process things without crazy attorneys, we're getting along."

"Well, I think it's good," said Stacie. "My parents divorced when I was ten, and it was such a good thing. They fought all the time when I was little, and the fighting finally stopped when they split. They were much happier afterward, and so was I. They still had to see each other because they had joint custody of my little sister and me, but I think they did a pretty good job co-parenting us. My mom told me later that they'd spent the most time in the divorce proceedings learning how to co-parent us. We were never made to feel like we were in the middle, even though I'm sure there were times one made the other mad. They're still friends now, even though my sister and I are grown. I mean, they don't hang out, but they get along great at family gatherings."

"I'm not sure Jesse and I will get there. And we don't have kids or anything. I guess Chloe and Aubrey filled you in on that whole situation."

"Yeah. I was sorry to hear about you guys splitting up when the news came out," said Stacie.

"Thanks," said Beca. "Enough about my divorce. Stacie, I'm sure Aubrey told you, but we've been watching _The Golden Girls_ together lately. Is that okay with you? If not, I'm sure we can agree on something else."

"Blanche is my spirit animal," said Stacie. "Well, she would be if she was pansexual."

Beca laughed. "You know, if that show came out today, I have a feeling she would be."

The four women got comfortable and watched a few episodes of _The Golden Girls_. Chloe smiled every time she looked over at Stacie and Aubrey. The two of them were snuggled together on Beca's couch. She was glad the Her app had worked out for them.

When 5:30 rolled around, Chloe told everyone goodbye and thanked them for entertaining her before she had to head to work.

When she went on her dinner break, she checked her texts. There was one from Aubrey.

_A: Text me when you're on your break  
__C: On break. What's up?  
__A: Did you notice Beca when we were watching TV?  
__C: Notice what?  
__C: I was getting cavities looking at you and Stacie  
__A: Beca = 😍  
__C: ?  
__A: That's how she was looking at you  
__C: [shrugging emoji]  
__A: Seriously  
__C: Whatever you say_

* * *

About a week later, on her day off, Chloe met Beca, Aubrey, and Stacie for dinner. It just so happened that several tabloids had run a picture of Jesse with another woman. It was evident when she arrived at the diner that she hadn't taken the news well.

"Hey, guys, sorry I'm a little late. I was talking to my attorney and my publicist. You guys saw, didn't you?"

"Yeah," said Chloe. "So, I guess that's his new girlfriend?"

"I talked to Jesse, and they're together," said Beca. "It sucks that he can go off and have a girlfriend and I can't."

"Why?" asked Stacie. "And a _girlfriend?_"

"I told you she's bi, didn't I?" asked Aubrey in a low voice.

"Right. Sorry," said Stacie.

"My publicist suggested not dating anyone - guy or girl - until the divorce is final. I guess his publicist didn't say that."

"Double standards are stupid," said Aubrey.

"Did you know he already moved in with her? And they got a cat!"

"Okay, you're mad he's moving in. I get it. But, the cat? What's wrong with that?" asked Aubrey.

"He always told me he didn't want any pets, but I guess _she_ did," said Beca. "I can't believe he moved on so quickly, and I'm here waiting."

"Waiting? Got your eye on somebody?" asked Stacie.

"Well, no, but…" Beca stammered. She wouldn't meet Chloe's eye. Chloe looked over at Aubrey, who shot her a knowing glance.

Beca was saved from finishing her sentence when a waiter came to take their order.

Stacie was telling them a story about a child who'd come to see her for a follow-up after an appendectomy that had drawn her a picture and written her a love letter, complete with a marriage proposal. The four of them were roaring with laughter when they saw a camera flash. Beca immediately froze and then muttered something under her breath.

"What's the matter, Beca?" asked Chloe.

"Someone was taking a pic of us. The stupid paparazzi bug me all the time. Can't wait to see what TMZ does with this!"

"I could threaten them," said Aubrey. "Pretty sure the fact that I'm an attorney will scare them."

"These people don't scare easily," said Beca. "Let's just hope nothing too crazy comes from the pics they're inevitably going to snap."

"It's a harmless dinner out with friends. What are they going to do with that?" asked Stacie.

"It's anyone's guess," said Beca.

The rest of dinner went okay, but Beca was much quieter than usual and definitely on edge.

"I'm sorry they ruined your meal," said Chloe.

"I'm used to them being a pain in my ass," said Beca.

Sure enough, pictures of the four women having dinner together were all over the different tabloid sites by the next morning. The headlines were pretty tame, thankfully. People Magazine's site said, "Beca Mitchell Laughs Over Dinner With New Friends." TMZ wrote: "Beca Mitchell Finds New Friends After Split with Jesse Swanson." One headline had made Stacie and Aubrey giggle. Aubrey texted Chloe when she saw it.

_A: Did you see Perez Hilton's headline?  
__C: No_

Aubrey sent her a link titled "Beca Mitchell Seen with New Gal Pal." The picture attached was of just Beca and Chloe.

_C: Think they know what "gal pal" means?  
__A: Probably  
__C: So, they think we're dating?  
__A: Did you see how she was looking at you in the photo?_

Chloe clicked on the article again.

_C: [shrugging emoji]  
__A: You don't see it?  
__C: No  
__A: Oh my god she's looking at your cleavage and smirking  
__C: I don't think so  
__A: Stacie says she is  
__A: Look at this one_

Aubrey sent her a link from Celebuzz. "Beca Mitchell Out on the Town with Hot Redhead." It showed a picture of Beca and Chloe walking toward one of their cars.

_C: Weird  
__A: Stacie said you're definitely giving her a hair flip and a goofy grin  
__C: I am NOT_

Aubrey's reply was a gif from the Brady Bunch movie of Marcia saying, "Sure, Jan."

_C: [rolling eyes emoji]  
__C: I'd better text Beca and check on her_

Chloe figured Beca's publicist was probably all over her regarding the new pictures.

_C: I saw the crazy headlines, you okay?  
__B: My publicist isn't happy  
__C: What's she doing?  
__B: She's dealing with Celebuzz. Nothing else was a big deal  
__C: That's good  
__B: Working today?  
__C: Yup  
__B: Mind if I come by for a few?  
__C: Not in the studio today?  
__B: No, finished my latest song and taking a day or two away  
__C: Okay, come on over_

When Beca arrived, Chloe handed her the tee and sweats she'd borrowed when she fell asleep at her place. "Here," she said. "I'm sorry I took so long to wash these."

"It's fine," said Beca, waving her hand dismissively.

"Sorry about the paparazzi. I really should have been more careful when choosing a restaurant."

"It will die down," said Beca. "It always does, and my publicist got Celebuzz to change their stupid headline and use a different photo."

The new article showed a picture of all four women together. The new headline was: "Beca Mitchell Busy Making New Friends."

"That one is a lot safer," said Chloe. "Have you talked to Jesse?"

"Yeah, over text," said Beca. "I explained that I'd been out with friends. He believes me."

"Even if he doesn't, that's not your problem."

"I suppose it isn't, but it could complicate the divorce. I'm three months away from being a single woman again."

"How do you feel about that?"

"I'm good. I feel...free. There was always a part of me that couldn't quite be myself around him. Not like when I'm with you." Beca clapped her hand over her mouth.

"What?"

"Nothing," said Beca, quickly.

Chloe chose to let the subject drop, convinced Aubrey and Stacie were putting ridiculous ideas in her head. There was no way Beca was interested in her, so it was best she did not get her hopes up. She fixed the two of them some lunch, and they ate together before taking Billie for a walk.

"So, any luck on the dating app?" asked Beca as Chloe was putting away Billie's leash.

"I've gotten a few notifications, but I haven't swiped right on any of them."

"That bad?" asked Beca.

"No," said Chloe. "I haven't been all that impressed with anyone, and I'll admit I'm more than a little nervous after that last date."

"I don't blame you," said Beca. She checked the time. "I'd better go. I don't want you to be late!"

"See you later. I'm sure the tabloids will leave you alone soon."

"I sure hope so."

* * *

_Three Months Later_

Stacie invited Beca, Chloe, and Aubrey over for dinner on the day Beca and Jesse were scheduled to go before a judge for their divorce hearing. They had a little "freedom" celebration planned for Beca.

Beca walked into Stacie's condo and declared, "I'm a single woman again!"

Aubrey popped the cork on a bottle of champagne and the four women toasted Beca's official freedom.

The group ate a big sushi platter they'd ordered from their favorite Japanese place, followed by a chocolate cake that had the word "Freedom" written on it. Chloe had insisted the four of them watch _Under the Tuscan Sun_ one night at her place. Beca had fallen asleep about halfway through the movie, but she'd immediately said "Someone needs to do that for me" when the characters in the movie made a similar cake to celebrate the main character's divorce in the beginning.

The drinks were flowing after that. Stacie found a drinking game associated with _The Golden Girls_ and the four of them were pretty sloshed after a couple of episodes. Chloe snapped a few pictures of Beca that were ridiculously blurry and got Beca to make an online dating profile.

Beca and Chloe took Ubers to their respective homes after everything died down for the evening.

Chloe woke up to a text from Beca. It had a few screenshots, captioned with "What the hell happened?"

The screenshots included several very blurry photos of Beca. It was a blur of her dark hair and pale complexion. The "about me" section said: "recentlvy divruoced. ysingle asnd ready to mingle. hcit me upv." It said she was a lesbian and had the wrong age.

Chloe texted her back.

_C: Anyone "swipe right" on you?  
__B: That's how I found out  
__B: I woke up to a bunch of notifications  
__C: Anyone you'd want to date?  
__B: No idea  
__C: 😂  
__B: I'm going to make a real profile  
__C: You'd better_

About a half-hour later, Chloe saw a notification from the Her app. She texted Beca.

_C: I see you have a profile now  
__C: Thanks for swiping right  
__B: Are you going to respond?_

Chloe sat staring at her screen for the better part of a minute. This had to be a joke. After spending a few minutes going over different ways to respond in her head, she opened the Her app. For the first time in months, she "swiped right."

Beca immediately sent her the "Miss Honey" gif.

Chloe went back to the text exchange.

_C: Cute  
__B: So…  
__C: ?_

Beca sent her the gif again in text messages. Chloe took a deep breath and texted back before she lost her nerve.

_C: Yes_

She immediately worried that Beca wouldn't understand her response.

_C: To a date  
__B: Good_

* * *

_A Few Months Later_

Chloe was at the grocery store around 3 am, again. She'd gotten home from another late shift at the clinic to discover she'd barely had any food in her apartment. She shook her head, thinking, _When will I ever learn?_

She grabbed a cart, got some essentials, and then headed to the checkout.

"Oh my god!" exclaimed the cashier.

Chloe looked around to try and figure out what had caused the outburst.

"What?"

"Aren't you..._her_?" The cashier pointed to a tabloid photo.

Chloe picked up the tabloid and laughed to herself at the headline: "_Singer Beca Mitchell Seen Getting Cozy with Local Veterinarian." _There was a photo of the two of them laughing over coffee at a nearby coffee shop.

"Well, at least they got my occupation right this time," said Chloe.

"So, that's you?"

"Yes."

"Is it true?"

"Well, I don't know what they mean by cozy…"

"Then, it _is_ true. You're dating Beca Mitchell. You lucky woman!"

"I can't argue with that," she said, winking at the cashier.

She paid for her groceries and headed home.

Once she'd gotten home and put away her groceries and made herself a sandwich, she flipped through her phone. She laughed at the number of headlines featuring herself with Beca. Only two of them had gotten the fact that she was a veterinarian correct. One of them said she was a war veteran, and someone said she was a barista. She shook her head.

Her phone buzzed with a text.

_B: Hey! Did you see a few of the tabloids actually got your job right?  
__C: Yeah  
__C: I'm amazed  
__B: I can't believe the one said you were a war veteran. Lazy reporting.  
__C: I think that one was my favorite  
__B: I'm just glad you're taking this in stride  
__C: I knew what I signed up for  
__C: I can't believe you're still awake  
__B: I knew when you got out of work, so I set an alarm  
__C: Awww  
__C: That's cute  
__B: I'm not cute  
__B: I'm badass  
__C: [rolling eyes emoji]_

The pair had finally decided to take the relationship public when Beca's new album dropped. Her publicist got them both booked on _Ellen_.

_B: Are you sure you're okay doing the Ellen show?  
__C: Positive  
__C: I can at least make sure everyone knows I'm a veterinarian  
__B: Okay, then. The car will pick you up at 11 am, so you'd better get some sleep  
__C: Yes, ma'am_

* * *

Chloe paced back and forth in the green room waiting for the producers to call her to the show. Beca had just gone up on stage to talk to Ellen about her new album. Many of the songs had been written by Beca herself, inspired by the end of her marriage to Jesse and finding love again with Chloe.

Finally, the producers called her backstage. As soon as she heard, "Well, let's meet this girlfriend of yours. Come on out, Chloe!"

"Hi," she said, a little surprised when Ellen wrapped her in a hug.

"So, Beca tells us you're a veterinarian?" Ellen asked.

"Yes," said Chloe. "Contrary to what a lot of places reported, I am a veterinarian. I actually work the late evening shift at an emergency veterinary clinic."

"And, how did you meet?" she asked.

"We met at the grocery store," said Chloe. She turned to Beca. "Can I tell them the story?"

"Go ahead," said Beca. They'd shared the whole story with Stacie and Aubrey shortly after their first date, and they'd help convince Beca that it was okay to share.

"I was on one of my late-night grocery shopping adventures," said Chloe. "And, there she was."

"What did you think? You knew who she was, didn't you?"

Chloe nodded. She said, "I mean, I knew that meeting someone famous was cool and all, but seeing my favorite celebrity in the cereal aisle with their arms full of Lucky Charms boxes is honestly even better than I imagined. And…are those Hello Kitty pajamas?"

The audience roared with laughter.

Once it died down, Beca spoke up. "Chloe saw that I was in need and she helped me when what I really needed was a friend. It was the night Jesse and I decided to split up, and I worked myself into quite a state. She could have taken an embarrassing photo or ten, but she didn't. And I'll never forget that."

Several audience members said "awwww" at the statement.

"Well, we wish you two all the happiness. Beca Mitchell and Dr. Chloe Beale, everybody!" announced Ellen as they finished their segment on the show.

As they exited the stage, Beca whispered, "I think I found my real lucky charm that night." She gave Chloe a kiss on the cheek once they were off-camera.

* * *

Tumblr prompt: I mean, I knew that meeting someone famous was cool and all, but seeing my favorite celebrity in the cereal aisle with their arms full of Lucky Charms boxes is honestly even better than I imagined. And…are those Hello Kitty pajamas?


End file.
